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"The longest-running, least-read blog in the world" Peter Forsythe in Hong Kong
Tuesday, 30 April 2024
The reason for increasing homelessness is ideology | Michael Shellenberger
“China hosts talks between rival Palestinian factions Hamas and Fatah in bid to end internal divisions: report” | Zhao Ziwen
In response, Fatah said Hamas' "October 7 adventure … caused the return of the Israeli occupation of Gaza", and led to a "catastrophe even more horrible and cruel than that of 1948", referring to a war during which Israel was established, resulting in the displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.
"… 1948, referring to the failed joint Arab attacks on the newly-founded UN-approved state of Israel, which led to thousands of local Arabs fleeing their homes under instructions from the invading armies."
Launching Tally-HO
Monday, 29 April 2024
“American hypocrisy over Tibet and Gaza boggles the mind” | Alex Lo
SCMP gives Alex Lo free rein yet again to bless us with his ignorant views.
“American hypocrisy over Tibet and Gaza boggles the mind”
My comment:
If in 2005, Beijing had removed all the 540,000 Han Chinese living in Tibet, by force if necessary, and handed over control to the Tibetans, who immediately voted into power a Hamas equivalent, let’s call it the Tibet Buddhist Liberation Party (TBLP), which, let’s say, is a radical terrorist outfit founded and funded by a radical, theocratic India (the Iran equivalent in this counter-factual).
- and if the world had pumped in billions in aid,
- and if, instead of helping ordinary Tibetans, the TBLP had used the aid to build tunnels to hide rockets and to hide their own terrorists, and had spirited away big chunks of the aid to their personal accounts,
- and if they had since 2005 carried out continuous rocket and missile attacks on neighbouring Chinese civilians,
- and if on October 7th, 2023 the TBLP had carried out a coordinated attack, funded by radical India on the Chinese city of Kunming, killing 190,000 civilians (equivalent per capita to the 10/7 killings), had raped women, and burnt babies alive,
- and if the TBLP had taken 29,000 Chinese hostages which they then hid under Tibetan Temples, in hospitals and in tunnels.
And if the Chinese army had eventually retaliated, while trying to keep civilian Tibetan deaths to a minimum … but had nonetheless been excoriated by the Left, like Lo.
If all that, THEN the comparison with Gaza might be relevant.
In the meantime, talk about U.S. "hypocrisy" is baseless Whataboutism.
True that we can do without Blinken wittering on about Tibet.
Myths of Gaza: 5/5 The two sides in this conflict are equally civilized, equally entitled to respect, and equally worth protecting.
Myth #5: The two sides in this conflict are equally civilized, equally entitled to respect, and equally worth protecting.
Well, again, if we’re talking about children dying on either side of this conflict—then yes, a human life is a human life. But Jihadist organizations like Hamas, and the wider cultures that support them, don’t value human life the way we do. Again, while this might sound like wartime propaganda, it is a simple statement of fact about how religious beliefs motivate people and constrain their thinking.
There is a difference between religious fanatics who punish women with beatings (or worse) for showing their hair in public, or commit honor killings against them for the crime of getting raped, or throw acid in their faces for a perceived slight, or even, in a place like Afghanistan for the crime of going to school—there is a difference between this vicious lunacy and a modern society that treats women as equals to men.
There is a difference between a society that murders gays, that literally has a policy of throwing them off of rooftops head first, and one that fully embraces them. There is a difference between religious fanatics who care only about Paradise, and most other people who take their religious beliefs much less seriously—or who have different beliefs that allow them to appropriately value life in this world.
Sunday, 28 April 2024
Myths of Gaza: 4/5 The atrocities committed by Hamas (and over one thousand Palestinian civilians) on October 7th were a legitimate response to oppression.
Myth #4: The atrocities committed by Hamas (and over one thousand Palestinian civilians) on October 7th were a legitimate response to oppression.
Israel left Gaza in 2005—forcibly removing thousands of its own citizens—and billions of dollars in international aid have since been spent there. So the “oppression” of the Palestinians in Gaza—by Israel—is at least debatable. While Israel has sought to maintain a secure border with Gaza all those years, so has Egypt—and yet no one blames Egypt for making Gaza an “open-air prison.” However, even if we accept the charge of “oppression,” it must be said that not all oppressed people respond by raping, and torturing, and murdering noncombatants.
Saturday, 27 April 2024
“These protests are … explicitly … pro-violence, pro-terrorism, anti-American, and hostile to an overwhelming majority of Jews.”
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The Dirty Little Secret About Homelessness Is Also The Key To Ending It
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Myths of Gaza: 3/5 The Jews Are Colonizers and the Palestinians are Indigenous People.
Myth #3: The Jews Are Colonizers and the Palestinians are Indigenous People.
There has been a continuous presence of Jews in the land of Israel for thousands of years. The Jews, therefore, are an indigenous people of the region. They were also indigenous to Egypt, Syria, Yemen, Turkey, Iran, and other Muslim countries—before being driven out of those countries by Muslims. (Curiously, no one at the U.N. is worried about the Jews so-called “right of return.” Is anyone pressuring Muslim countries to give Jews their homes back? No. These are the sorts of asymmetries one should notice.)
In any case, Israel is not unique among states in having been created by outside powers, just drawing lines on maps in the aftermath of WW2. Pakistan was born in the same year and in the same way, and yet no one questions its right to exist. Nearly every nation on Earth has emerged from a chaotic history of conquest and the displacement of people. There are now 22 official Muslim States and over 50 Muslim-majority countries. This is the result of centuries of Muslim conquest. There is exactly one Jewish state. And yet only Israel must continuously confront charges of its illegitimacy. Only Israel must continually advocate for its right to exist.
Friday, 26 April 2024
Billboard Chris did say “Don’t post rude memes of PM Albanese; just don’t”. Albanese vs Musk
So many memes of Aussie PM Anthony Albanese, that people have posted without taking any notice of the PM who said it was “the responsibility” of socials to remove photos of “my face on other people’s bodies” (aka “memes”, Albo). I’m shocked, shocked, that so many folks should simply ignore the PM.
Do not repost, or retweet, or like or pass on to all your address book, or laugh at, or invent new ones. Do not.... And shame on you if you do… All those who have shamelessly ignored the PM and posted their memes of him, below, for the historical record...
Australia’s Chief Nanny blubs on X
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Australia tries to censor the internet: Su-lin Tan agrees
Misinformation from columnist Su-lin Tan. She doesn’t mention that X removed the video from Australia. But Albanese and she wanted it removed from the WORLD.
No.
Why on earth are people like Tan calling for more censorship? Before the above kerfuffle, we had Australia trying to censor legitimate posts by "Billboard Chris" about chemical castration and surgery of minors. All this is valid debate. Australia is trying to shut it down.
No.
Myths of Gaza: 2/5 International Humanitarian Law Requires that Israel’s response to Palestinian aggression be “proportional.”
Myth #2: International Humanitarian Law Requires that Israel’s response to Palestinian aggression be “proportional.”
The term “proportional” is being widely misunderstood when talking about the war in Gaza. To be truly “proportional,” in the way that many people imagine this word is used, Israeli soldiers would need to rape, torture, and murder the same number Palestinian noncombatants as Hamas raped, tortured, and murdered in Israel on October 7th. But, of course, no one believes that such reciprocal savagery would constitute a sane or ethical response to Hamas’s violence.
In fact, the concept of “proportionality” doesn’t refer to the numbers of casualties on either side of a conflict, much less insist that they be equal. It simply asks that we weigh the military importance of an action against the resulting destruction of civilian life and property. International law allows Israel to utterly destroy Hamas, given what happened on October 7th, and given the fact that they continue to fire rockets into Israeli cities, intentionally targeting civilians. As I’ve said, there is no way for Israel to fight Hamas without a massive loss of innocent life because, again, Hamas has embedded itself in the civilian population, on purpose, to cause as much civilian death as possible.
Thursday, 25 April 2024
Myths of Gaza. 1/5 Genocide
Myth #1: Israel is guilty of “genocide” in Gaza.
The term “genocide” has a clear meaning—it’s the destruction or attempted destruction of a whole people. According to the 1948 international genocide convention, genocide constitutes “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.”
To claim that Israel has perpetrated a genocide in Gaza, or that it has attempted genocide anywhere, is patently false. There were around 250,000 people in Gaza in 1948. There are now more than 2 million. This rate of growth is triple the world average. So if Israel has perpetrated a genocide in Gaza, it is the most inept genocide in history. And yet this false charge has been made against Israel for years.
It’s telling that the most recent allegations of genocide could be heard before Israel had dropped a single bomb in response to the atrocities of October 7th. Really, people were shrieking “genocide” on October 8th. What does that tell you? This is just a new blood libel.
They never wanted a 2-state solution
Click above for the quick run-down to the many times Arabs have been offered their own state, and refused |
What they want is what the Nazis called “judenrein”, a “Jew free” middle east. Which is being specifically called for by the latest iteration of Nazis, the Hamas. It’s in their Charter, which has never been renounced. They call for the death of Jews in the middle east, and then in the world. IOW, today’s actual real Nazis. Not those pretend ones that Joe Biden keeps warning about. Real, genocidal, Jew haters. Who, btw, also hate homosexuals, transexuals, unveiled women, anyone who believes in any god but Allah. All of whom they will kill or repress.
And they sure as hell don’t want a state living in peace next to a Jewish state.
And yet China, the U.S., Australia ... all sorts of well-meaning (and maybe not so well-meaning) nongs, keep banging on about the two-state solution.
The only way forward, it seems to me now, is to topple the regime of the Islamic Republic of Iran. Ever since it took over in 1979, and revoked its previous recognition of Israel, things have been going from bad to worse. Imagine a middle east without the Mullahs. Without the poisonous Islamist ideology. Of a new moderate Iran -- peopled by the Moderate Muslims we keep hearing about -- that could live in peace with Jews. That’s when things could get better. Without that, it’s the endless status quo.
There’s some hope that such an Iran could arise, as the young people there are very much anti the theocracy. But when they demonstrated against the regime, then President Obama, to his shame, didn’t lift a finger to help them.
“Please, America, show some shame over the war in Gaza” | Alex Lo
- That the Hamas-sourced Gaza casualty numbers are exaggerated, as even Hamas recently acknowledged.
- That almost half the casualties are Hamas fighters, making the proportion of civilians to combatants killed the lowest in any war. (around 1.5 to 1).
- That the IDF takes extraordinary care not to kill civilians, taking many more deaths of its own soldiers as a cost of that care. (And, btw, the SCMP doesn't include IDF deaths in the casualty figures it regularly reports. 650 since 10/7).
- That there is no famine in Gaza; there is more food going into Gaza than there was before the war.
- That distribution of food, not the amount, is the problem and that's down to Hamas.
- That Hamas are looters of the vast quantities of aid that has gone into the territory since 2005. And have stashed away vast personal fortunes in Qatar.
- That the devastation of Gaza is, ultimately and directly and unequivocally and historically and practically and morally the responsibility of Hamas, the most Nazi-like group in the world since the actual Nazis.
- And that the destruction in Gaza, the alleged "genocide", could stop in an instant if Hamas surrendered and gave up the hostages. The ones that they have not already killed, that is.
- And that little of the above is ever mentioned in the western legacy media.
There is one way for Gaza-Hamas to have immediate ceasefire: surrender and give up the hostages. That is, the remaining ones they have not already slaughtered. Bigger picture: remove the theocratic Islamic Republic of Iran regime, which funds all the murder and chaos in the region: Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, awa the murderous Syrian regime.Peace is impossible with Hamas in power, as their Charter specifically calls for the world-wide slaughter of Jews. Now THAT's Genocide!
Wednesday, 24 April 2024
"Shine on you crazy Jerusalem” : an anti Roger Waters hymn by Jewish buskers
Click above: two talented Jewish buskers in Jerusalem |
We visited Jerusalem in 2017.
I’m one of those atheists, but I’d rather talk to these fundamentalist jewish buskers above, than to any of the blood-drenched maniacs of Hamas. Because they would be more decent.
The Jews are a cultured people. Not just famous musicians. People of wide achievement. It’s in their culture.
Jews are the tribe that is just 0.18% of the world population, but that wins 23% of Nobel prizes (138 times over performance). Islam is a culture of destruction, that is 25% of the world population and wins barely 1.3% of Nobel prizes (19 times under performance) . A mark there of where priorities are. Which they have been since the founding of Islam by its prophet Muhammad, whose main thing was: expand, rape and kill surrounding tribes, starting with the Jews who happened to be living nearby.
Like: Gaza is handed over to Palestinians, in 2005, all Jews removed (by Israel), and the first thing the Gazans do is destroy everything that the Jews had built. All the infrastructure, all the factories, all the fields, all the greenhouses. And then who used all the aid money that flooded in, not to build an economy, but to build terror tunnels and make rockets to attack and kill Jews.
And we’re supposed to respect that? We’re supposed to call for “Free, free Palestine”.
No, f**k it.
But Columbia University, New York University, Yale, all cheer for Hamas. Call for the death of Jews. It’s disgusting. What we’ve seen in the last couple of days is distrusting, disgusting, unforgivable. Though the media and western luvvies will surely forgive them.
Slightly ironic that these Jewish buskers, above in Jerusalem, are playing “Shine on you crazy diamond”, which is by Pink Floyd, whose Roger Waters is a raging Jew-hater. Oh yes, he is! He’d no doubt say he’s just “anti-Zionist”. That excuse works no longer, with what’s been revealed of outright Jew-hatred in the west since October 7th. Being “anti-Zionist” is just a lame excuse for the ancient hatred of Jews. Including by head man of Pink Floyd, Roger Waters.
The only time Jerusalem has been so multicultural, so multi-religious, is under Jewish control. When Jerusalem was run by the Jordanians, between 1948 and 1967, only Muslims were allowed in the city. Churches and Synagogues were destroyed. But somehow we’re supposed to hate on Jewish control. And wish for it to be run by Hamas thugs.
No, f**k it.
“Trump Good” and also “Trump Bad"
Clip from the video above |
“The old-fashioned way to judge a president is by results. A more popular way is by how well he fits the preconceptions of the intelligentsia or the media”.
- No new wars
- Increased NATO payments
- Abraham Accords: breakthrough agreements between Israel and surrounding Arab states
- Keeping Iran under control
- Energy independence
- Lowest Black unemployment rate in history
- Highest Black home-ownership in history
- High economic growth rates
- Low inflation
- The First Steps Act to release non-violent criminals
But, the “preconceptions of the intelligentsia”: Trump Bad. Orange Man Bad.
“Biden Has a ‘Very Fine People’ Moment” | Dershowitz and Stein
Snip:
Those who genuinely care about the Palestinians should hope for Hamas's defeat. Ending the terror group's control over the Gaza Strip would be good for Palestinians and is a necessary condition for peace and for any two-state settlement. It won't be possible if the American president fails to acknowledge the moral difference between good and evil. Mr. Biden needs to demonstrate the same moral clarity he demanded from his predecessor.
From: Biden Has a 'Very Fine People' Moment
I add: in the very same Charlottesville clip both Biden and Dershowitz reference, Trump said, of the "fine people" he had just mentioned: "I'm not talking about the neo-Nazis and white supremacists, who should be condemned totally".
That bit is always cut out. To make it seem he was talking about the neo-Nazis. He was talking about the people for and against toppling statues in Charlottesville. Which is an ok debate to have. One where, I for one, am on the side of not toppling statues. (Generally. Not so sure about Stalin, Hitler, Mao).
IOW Biden lied about the very foundational reason he supposedly got into the race back in 2020. And has never bothered to correct himself. More correctly: he dare not correct himself.
Tuesday, 23 April 2024
"For peace to happen you need to accept the truth” | Brianna Wu
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For peace to happen, you need to accept the truth. Palestinians lost a war they started in 1948. It wasn’t land theft, they tried to genocide their Jewish neighbors and lost. War leads to tragedy, so it’s unwise to start them. The other truth is, Palestinians will never defeat Israel. This political project must die. The delusion has caused so much suffering. It’s time to accept reality, accept a Palestinian state and build a life from here.
U.S. 1 — China 0. Geopolitics in Ushuaia
International affairs analysts see a foreign policy shift with far-reaching repercussions for the U.S. and China in Argentina's decision this week to buy American-made F-16 fighter jets and its early April announcement to partner with the U.S. military on a naval base at the southern tip of South America.
Argentina's decision to purchase 24 F-16s from Denmark rather than go with a competing bid from China led some Chinese commentators to lament the setback. Beijing has been trying for more than a decade to sell Argentina JF-17 fighter jets China developed with Pakistan. More…
Monday, 22 April 2024
White Democrat shows how open minded he is, to Black Trump supporter (Spoiler: Not)
Above a clip from the video below. Over and over he shows that he doesn’t know basic info, but still hates on Trump |
Israel to Iran: you can run but you can’t hide
Click above for the video |
But the United States, under Joe the Weak, throws sand in Israel's gears.
Standing for Israel because I stand for western enlightenment values. For tolerance over theocracy. And blow the students, ignoramuses who don’t know and don’t value the culture we have.
Fwd: Why Do Civilized People Hate Civilization?
From: Public News <public@substack.com>
Date: 22 April 2024 at 1:33:00 AM HKT
To: fu.saisee@gmail.com
Subject: Why Do Civilized People Hate Civilization?
Reply-To: Public News <reply+2dmfd0&8ascm&&478dc35a74177980f494ec3be975c942d8728b3f382765e8968798ef9da3fca8@mg1.substack.com>
Why Do Civilized People Hate Civilization? Watch now (51 secs) | Join me, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, and John McWhorter at Dissident Dialogues, May 3 - 4, 2024, in New York City͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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Why Do Civilized People Hate Civilization?
Join me, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, and John McWhorter at Dissident Dialogues, May 3 - 4, 2024, in New York City
READ IN APP Dear Friends,
I am happy to announce that I will be joining leading thinkers, including Richard Dawkins, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Steven Pinker, John McWhorter, Konstantin Kisin, Francis Foster, Winston Marshall, Freddie Sayers, Bridget Phetasy, Thomas Chatterton Williams, Kathleen Stock, Diana S. Fleischman, Africa Brooke, Lee Fang, and Anna Khachiyan at the inaugural "Dissident Dialogues 2024."
At this event in Brooklyn on May 3rd and 4th, we will discuss topics related to religion, science, culture, and politics. Please consider joining us for a gathering where everyone is part of the conversation: liberals, conservatives, the religious, secularists, and everyone in between. For my part, I will give a talk on why civilized people hate civilization and are undermining it.
If you're driven by intellectual honesty, curiosity, and a desire for the truth, Dissident Dialogues is the place for you. Sign up now and join the conversation!
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